November 09, 2012

McConnell to Obama: "There is no consensus on raising tax rates"

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell had a wary view of President Barack Obama's Friday call for consensus on avoiding the fiscal cliff.

“I was glad to hear the President’s focus on jobs and growth and his call for consensus. But there is no consensus on raising tax rates, which would undermine the jobs and growth we all believe are important to our economy," said McConnell, R-Ky.

"While I appreciate and share the President’s desire to put the election behind us, the fact is we still have yet to hear an actual plan from the President for addressing the great economic challenges we face. What’s needed now is a realistic and specific proposal from the President that can actually pass the Congress."

McConnell recalled how, for the last two years, Obama "avoided outlining these kinds of realistic solutions. Now that the election is over, the American people expect a plan that reduces spending, reforms the entitlement system, and puts us on a path to ending our chronic annual deficits—without harming an already fragile economy."

McConnell noted that he and Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, have suggested tax reform as one way to find agrement, "we have yet to hear from Democrats on spending and entitlement reform. Every one of us wants to help the American people by helping the economy grow, and Republicans are eager to hear the President’s proposals on this and many other pressing issues going forward. The President has a duty to lead. We implore him again to do so.”

Comments

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Of course there is no consensus - if a single person disagrees, it is not consensus.

In political newspeak, "consensus" seems to have come to mean a majority agrees. These politicians need to buy a dictionary, and actually use it. How can people who either don't know the meanings of the words they choose, or intentionally twist them, continue to get elected?